Dancing Passion
by Morantis
Summary: A new dance competition has just started at Ever After High. Duchess Swan needs to win badly to show her rival who the best dancer is. However there will be obstacles for her to overcome. Will a certain frog prince help her through the competition or will both of their styles clash? Read on as Duchess learns what true love really is. Requested by soultaker78
1. Chapter 1

It was a normal evening at Ever After High. The last class bell rang throughout the school signaling the time of day when the halls become crowded with students. The halls became loud with excitement as students go on the search for friends. As groups are formed, the conflict that has started in the school starts to be shown; Royals against Rebels. A fight about destiny the Royals are in favour of their predetermined destinies while the Rebels fight to choose their own destiny. However this is not what our story will focus on.

Meet Duchess Swan, daughter of the Swan Queen. She considers herself on the Royal side even though her story doesn't have such a happy ending. She tries to bring down other princesses so that she can take the role of the princess in another story. As hard as she tries Duchess has yet to succeed. Her powers include turning into a black swan and dancing on water in her human form. As Duchess walks through the halls her life is about to take some unexpected turns. Gather around as we follow Duchess on a journey of happiness, sadness, disappointment and love.

It was a pretty boring day for Duchess. The days were slowly going by for her recently. Everything seemed to be repetitive; wake up, get ready for the day, go to classes, lovingly stare at Daring Charming, snoop around to find juicy details about other princesses and finally go back to bed. This was starting to ruffle Duchess Swan's feathers. She needed to get out of the rut she was in.

"What am I gonna do? Even looking at Daring is starting to lose its appeal. Maybe Faybelle would like to-"

"Hello everyone and welcome back to _Just Right!"_

Duchess scrunches her eyes in frustration. She slowly looks up to the t.v screen that was currently showing Blondie Lockes face. The famous school show had just started. Duchess was irritated for being distracted mid-thought. With nothing better to do Duchess tries her best to drown out the talkative blonde's voice.

"Before I bring out my guests for today's show I have some hex-citing news for everyone!" Blondie says while shuffling through some papers.

Duchess closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Ever After High has decided to start an yearly dance off!"

Duchess eyes sprang open. She quickly does half a pirouette and focuses all her attention on Blondie.

"That's right all you fairy-tales! Headmaster Grimm has officially released the news. In honour of all the wonderful musicals, every dancer is invited to try out. So get your dance shoes on and may the best performance win!"

Duchess was at a loss for words. This was exactly what she hoping for. Not only will this get rid of her boredom but also the chance to show the school how great of a dancer she was. Duchess prides herself with her ballet skills. With her moves nobody will come close to beating her.

"This is the fable-est! I'm a cinch to win!"

"Oh I wouldn't bet on it Duck Face."

Duchess' moment of happiness stopped. She knew that voice all too well. Duchess turns around to see Sara Silberhaus, daughter of Clara Silberhaus from the _The Nutcracker._ Sara had a fair white skin tone that could be compared to a cloud. Her auburn hair was tied in a ponytail that just reached her mid-back. Her eyes were sparkling with the colour of an evergreen forest while her earrings were mistletoe's. Sara wore a noodle strap top like Duchess but hers was green and red. Her skirt was the same colour wise but would have Christmas stars going around the edge. Sara wore green stockings with candy-canes running up and down the leg. Her shoes were a nice bright red with more candy-canes as heels. All the students could swear that every time Sara walks by the smell of pine trees and gingerbread cookies would be in the air. Everyone loved her, except for Duchess.

Sara and Duchess had been enemies since Nursery Rhyme school. Since both of their stories revolved around dancing they both wanted to prove who the best dancer was. Duchess was glaring at Sara.

"Silberhaus."

Venom could be heard dripping out of Duchess' voice. Sara started to circle Duchess.

"You think you stand a chance of beating me? How many times have we faced off now? 10? 12? And how many times have you won? Oh that's right, zero."

Duchess was starting to turn red with anger.

"I hardly call doing the same routine over and over again winning. At least I'm creative and original. This time your petty little dance won't even come close to what I'll do Pine Breath."

Sara stopped circling Duchess. Her face scowled in annoyance.

"Excuse you! Why should I change something that's perfect? The crowd love my moves, unlike yours Waddle Feet."

"Pine-cone Head!"

"Feather Duster!"

"Toothpick!"

Back and forth the girls bickered. A crowd started to form, waiting in excitement for a fight to start. Outside of the crowd there was one man who wasn't paying attention to the fighting. He was still focused on Blondie's show. She was explaining the rules of the competition. His smile continued to grow as he listened to Blondie. Without taking notice of the fighting behind him the energetic teen ran through the halls, unable to hold his joy to start practicing for the dance competition.

Meanwhile, Duchess and Sara were still arguing. The crowd was the perfect audience. They were reacting at the perfect time and egging the two dancers on.

"That handbag you always carry was so last fairy-tale Sara. Can't even keep up with today's fashion I see."

"I could say the same to you miss 'These are real Hanns Christian Dours original clothing!' We can all tell it's a fake."

"Ah! You take that back you witch!"

"Why don't you make me?"

"Oh I'll do more than that. I bet I can out dance you in this competition!"

"Oh little Duchess making threats. I'm so scared."

"It's not a threat, it's a promise."

"Interesting. What's the wager?"

"If I win you have to let Maddie do your hair and choose your clothing for a week!"

The crowd let out an audible gasp. As funny as Maddie was, her style and hair were completely mad; perfect for the daughter of the Mad Hatter. On anyone else it would just seem weird. Sara glared at Duchess.

"...Fine but if I win you will forever call me Queen of Dance and never be allowed to dance again."

Duchess stepped back from that in fear. Dancing was her one true passion. It was a way to express herself and release stress. The crowd stared at Duchess, waiting for her reply. Duchess noticed everyone staring at her. The tension was starting to get to Duchess. She took a deep breath and…

"Bring it on like fairy song!"

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><p><strong>Ah the start of my new story. At first it was originally gonna be a one-shot but the more I got into it the more I found this could be a good story. Sorry soultaker but I still have the pairing you asked for. I'm excited for this one. I also introduced another OC. What do you guys think of Sara? She does sound kind of mean but she is talking to Duchess who she considers her a dance rival. <strong>

**This is a short chapter for my standards but the rest should be over 2000 words. Hope you guys like the story and are excited for the next chapter.**

**Until next chapter,**

**Morantis**


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh fairy godmother what have I done Faybelle?"

Duchess was pacing back and forth in front of her BFFA Faybelle Thorn, daughter of the Wicked Fairy Godmother. Faybelle wore her Ever After High cheerleader outfit. She wore a sleeveless red top with EAH embroidered on the chest in gold. Her skirt just reached above her knees and was pure white aside from the golden hemline. The adrenaline that Duchess was feeling was finally dying down and despair was taking its place. She had just made a bet with her enemy Sara Silberhaus. A new dance competition was introduced to Ever After High and Duchess wanted to prove she was the best dancer at the school. In the heat of the moment Duchess accepted the condition if Sara won; to never be allowed to dance again. After the crowd dispersed, Duchess instantly went on the hunt for Faybelle to let her know what happened. The two were currently alone in Faybelle's dorm room.

Faybelle was at her desk reading through her Evil-nomics textbook, not even looking up as Duchess paced behind her. As the next Wicked Fairy Godmother, she was studying for her test to better prepare for her future. Faybelle was one of the few future villains that actually liked their future destiny. While she did like her destiny, Faybelle was a generally kind person. She was completely against the Rebel cause. While she was kind to other Royals, she tended to stay away from Rebels if she could help it. If she couldn't help it Faybelle becomes hostile towards the Rebels. She considers Duchess to be her BFFA. Faybelle continues to read as she addresses Duchess.

"Duchess I appreciate it if you don't use my mother's name as a cuss."

"Sorry Fay. It's just Sara gets on my tail feathers! I can't stand her! She goaded me into taking such a big risk! I have to win! I can't go my whole life not being able to dance! HONK!"

Duchess covered her mouth in embarrassment. Her swan side was starting to show and whenever it did Duchess would always lose control of her vocals. Faybelle let out a soft sigh, knowing that when Duchess starts to honk there would be no chance of getting studying done. She turns her torso to look straight at Duchess.

"Duchess, if you are so worried about losing why aren't you practicing right now? This girl has annoyed since the beginning of your 'Once a upon a time.' This is your chance to show her up!"

"...You're right Fay! I, Duchess Swan, will beat the ever after out of Sara Silberhaus!" Duchess announced proudly.

"That's the spirit!" Faybelle yelled pumping her fist in the air.

"...How am I going to do it though?" Duchess asked, her determination slowly deteriorating. "No matter how hard I tried, Sara always seemed to beat me. There's gotta be something I can do?"

Faybelle cupped her chin in thought, trying to come up with an idea for Duchess. As a cheerleader Faybelle understood where Duchess was coming from. Coming up with a routine was the same as choreography for dancers. It had to fit your style but at the same time make it the best it can be to dazzle your audience. To some they spend years developing their perfect dance. Duchess had only a couple of weeks at most.

Or did she?

"Duchess...how far have you gotten to completing project 'Black Swan?'"

Duchess was preoccupied with thinking of what to do to fully react to the question. She kept staring into space while answering Faybelle.

"It's coming along fine. Probably half way done before it's complete."

Curiosity was slowly creeping into Duchess' mind. Unable to concentrate at the task at hand, she had to inquire about Faybelle's question.

"Why do you want to know about project….'Black Swan'...Oh hex no! You aren't suggesting I use it against Sara are you?"

"Oh come Duch." Faybelle got out of her chair and walked towards Duchess. "This is your big chance to show every fairy tale what you got!"

"But this was supposed to be used during my story! This would be my masterpiece before...you know...I turn into a swan permanently."

Faybelle gently wrapped her arms around Duchess, embracing her with a small hug. While Duchess usually wasn't one for hugs, she accepted this one. Faybelle understood how Duchess felt about her story. Usually princess' would get a happily ever after with their own kingdom and prince charming. Duchess was the rare few that didn't get the perfect ending. None of the other Royals could ever understand Duchess' destiny. Mentioning it always brought the mood down.

"I know this routine was going to be your best dance ever. But this competition is just as important. Project 'Black Swan' will never happen if you lose this." Faybelle ends the hug and places her hands on Duchess' shoulders, extending her arms. "The Duchess I know would do everything to win! You are a creative princess! I know after this competition you'll come up with an even better dance!"

"...You're absolutely right! I gotta go right now."

Duchess ran out of the room as fast as she could. Faybelle leaned out of her dorm room to see her run down the hallway.

"You got this Duchess!" Faybelle yelled down the corridor.

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><p>Duchess was walking alone through the Enchanted Forest. After leaving Faybelle's room, night was settling in, making Duchess wait till morning to go practice. She was on her way to an area she found when school started. It was a large pond found in a small clearing. The water was crystal clear, hardly touched besides the occasional animal having a drink. It was secluded and quiet, cut off from the rest of the world. Duchess absolutely loved it. It was the one place where she could practice freely or even just relax. The only other student that found this small piece of paradise was Humphrey Dumpty. He found it when Duchess was crying about a school project. Thankfully Humphrey helped her out and a small friendship was born between these two opposite fairy tales. Humphrey promised not to reveal the ponds location, understanding where Duchess was coming from when it came to finding a place to relax.<p>

It would be at this pond that Duchess would work on, and perfect, her dance. In her hands was her own personal notebook. This was one of her most treasured possessions. It held all of her dance steps and ideas on what could possibly be great moves if mastered. She was ready to go all out and win this dance competition. She arrived at her destination, determination etched across her face. Knowing the importance of stretching, she placed her notebook on the ground and took out her Mirrorphone to select some music to stretch and practice to. As always she chose some classical pieces.

Duchess made sure she all of her muscles were stretched and ready to go for a quick dance to get them warm. One of her all time favourite compositions had just started on her Mirrophone; Piano Sonata No. 11, created by one of the best composers ever, Badwolf Mozart. Apparently an ancestor to Mr. Bad Wolf. Who would have thought that the Big Bad Wolf family had such a musical ancestor. The composition was just beautiful in Duchess' opinion. This would really get her passion for dancing pumped up.

Duchess stood in the middle of the pond, getting ready to dance as she felt the music to her very soul. Just as she was about to take her first step, Duchess was taken off guard. Blaring music from the other side drowned out her own Mirrorphone. Not expecting the new music, Duchess lost her balance and fell into the pond. Even underwater she could her the music. She swam back to shore, thoroughly drenched. Thankfully she dried off quickly due to her swan side. Once out of the water, Duchess sole purpose was to find out who had the nerve to disrupt her. Picking up her notebook and Mirrorphone, Duchess made her way over the hill to find the source of the music.

After going through some bushes and getting to the highest point, Duchess scanned the area to find the perpetrator. She noticed a figure in the distance, unable to tell who it was. Duchess made a beeline towards the figure, uncapable to control her anger. As she got closer, Duchess saw that it was a boy with a small crown on his head. Even if the person was Daring himself, Duchess would show just how ferocious a swan could be. Thankfully for Duchess it was not Daring but Hopper Croakington the II. For some odd reason he was stretching his legs next to his FairyBox as it blasted Melody Pipers new album. Duchess paid no attention to what he was doing or what song was playing, she was planning on having frog legs this evening. Hopper didn't even notice Duchess as she came up right behind him.

"Hey Hopper!" yelled Duchess.

Hopper, not expecting anyone to be behind him. He got scared and nervous, making him twitch, causing the unfortunate event of turning him into a frog.

"Blast!" Hopper said, having just enough time before he fell to the ground.

Fixing his crown, Hopper turns around to see who startled him. He was surprised to see it was Duchess looking down on him. Seeing Hooper turn into a frog did calm Duchess down a bit. It was always funny to see the so called Frog Prince turn into a frog.

"Ah Miss Swan." Hopper leapt towards the FairyBox turning the music off. "To what do I owe the gratification of you interrupting my gyrate session?" asked in an irritated tone.

"I interrupted you? You were the one interrupting me when I was about to start dancing. Your music totally threw off my groove. And what the spell is a gyrate?"

Hopper slapped his forehead with his palm, unable to comprehend that Duchess didn't know what gyrate meant.

"In simple terms Duchess it has the same meaning as the word dance. Out of everyone I'm surprised you wouldn't know what that meant. I had meant no ill will towards you my dear. I thought I was alone in my endeavours."

Duchess had to let out a laugh before she could make a reply back to Hopper. "Hey I speak through my dance moves, not through fancy words like you do. Not the main point though. You were trying to dance?" Duchess couldn't help but laugh again at the thought of Hopper dancing. She couldn't picture this nervous wreck of a prince dancing.

Hopper crossed his arms and let out a loud croak to get Duchess to stop laughing.

"I was not 'trying' to dance. I was developing a routine for the dance competition announced yesterday."

"...You're serious. You're actually going to dance?" Duchess inquired.

"Hmph, I'll have you know I am quite the dancer. I think I have a good shot at winning the solo category."

"Yeah well sorry to burst your lily pad but I will...wait. There's a solo category? Does that mean there are other categories?"

"Of course there is. I would have thought you would know by now considering how hexcited you are for this competition. You have to sign your name in the bracket you want to compete in and-"

"Signing?! I didn't know you had to sign up for it!" Duchess screamed. In all of the hyped up excitement from Faybelle and adrenaline of beating Sara, Duchess forgot to learn about the rules.

Duchess grabbed Hopper in her hands, not caring at the moment about the mucus coming from Hopper's body. She was squeezing Hopper so tightly that his eyes were beginning to pop out.

"Hopper! Where do I go to sign my name?!"

"In...gah...the...auditorium. Duchess...I...can't...breath!"

Duchess drops Hopper and turns in the direction of the school. With all of her might Duchess sprints towards the auditorium, wishing along the way that she makes it in time.

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><p><strong>Hey guys Morantis here finally with an update for this story. Sorry it's been awhile for this one. I was focusing on my first story True Heart Desire. Now I'll be focusing on this one and Silent Love for now; alongside my other one-shot requests. <strong>

**So Duchess was just about to start developing her dance routine until that little indecent with Hopper. Do you guys think Duchess will make it in time, or will it be too late for this black swan? Leave a review to let me know**

**If you are not following True Heart Desire then here is an update. I am starting to develop a story around OCs for Ever After High. What I need is your help. I want you, the readers, to send me your own OCs to use in my story. Everyone will have their OC in the story. I will be the one to make the final decision on who will be in the main group of the story. Each character will get at least one scene in my story. Be creative! Give me: gender, age, Hair style, clothing style, parents story, personality, are they a Royal or Rebel, and a small back story as to why they are at Ever After High. I've already have some results but keep them coming. I'll be posting the OC ideas on my main page soon just so there won't be any repeats. Leave your suggestions in the review or P.M me.**

**You guys are awesome. Until next chapter,**

**Morantis**


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